§ Mr. Robert McCartneyTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if public servants are eligible to serve as delegates in the forum; under what conditions civil servants will be permitted to be candidates; and which social security benefit payments will be affected by delegates' allowances. [26730]
§ Sir Patrick MayhewUnder the provision of the legislation public servants are eligible to serve as delegates in the forum. Pursuant, however, to the Northern Ireland civil service non-industrial pay and conditions of service code civil servants to whom the code applies will not be permitted to serve as delegates in the forum or to put themselves forward as candidates. Similar conditions apply to home civil servants.
The extent to which any social security benefit is affected will depend on the amount of the allowance and the individual's circumstances. Benefits which could be affected by delegates' allowances are: income support, unemployment benefit, invalid care allowance, disability working allowance, incapacity benefit, severe disablement allowance, retirement pension—if the member is a dependant on a spouse's claim—and family credit, for fresh and renewal claims.